Fluid distributor



1957 H. P. FRY, JR

FLUID DISTRIBUTOR Filed April 7, 1965 United States Patent 3,347,472 FLUID DISTRIBUTOR Horace P. Fry, Jr., West Chester, Pa., assignor to FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 446,175 6 Claims. (Cl. 239543) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a fluid distributor.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved and more satisfactory fluid distributor.

Anotherobject of this invention is a provision of an improved distributor which is capable of providing a treating fluid in a generally diffused condition.

Still another object is to provide an improved distributor which is designed to disperse streams of fluid so as to provide a diffused atmosphere as such streams are discharged into a fluid treating area.

A furtherobject is the provision of a fluid distributor which is simple in construction and use.

Still further objects will appear from the following description.

These objects are accomplished by an apparatus which includes, basically, a fluid delivery tube formed with an elongated longitudinally extending slot and a grooved rod or cylindrical member which is positioned within the tube and is snugly engaged with portions thereof which define the tube slot. The groove extends around the periphery of the rod or cylindrical member and cooperates with the opposing portions of the tube to form orifices which discharge fluid into the tube slot.

A round rod is preferred since it permits easier and more economical operation and imparts greater flexibility to the distributor as more fully described hereafter. However, rods of other configurations, such as square, elliptical, a flat band twisted into a helical form, etc., can be employed with satisfactory results. In each instance the rod has cross sectional dimensions which are at least equal to and preferably greater than the width of the tube slot.

The grooves formed along the rod periphery may be one or more annular grooves which lie in planes generally perpendicular or at angles to the rod axis or, and preferably, may be a continuous helical groove. The cross section and/ or inclination or lead of the groove can be varied to suit manufacture and/ or operating conditions. The delivery tube also can be of any desired cross section and can be supplied with fluid through its ends or center or at any other desired location. Preferably, a wall is provided across one end of the tube through which the rod extends and is available for manipulation as hereafter described. The tube slot is most easily formed by cutting the tube so that the walls which are provided are generally parallel to each other and the tube axis. However, the walls defining the tube slot may extend along any planes such as planes which diverge or converge relative to the tube axis, with equally satisfactory results. While refrence has been made to only one slot, the tube may be provided with any number of slots and cooperating orificeforming groove rods.

From the description given above, it will be apparent that at any location at which the rod groove spans the slot of the delivery tube, fluid discharge orifices are provided. The orifices of such pair of orifices are disposed in opposing relationship whereby the streams of fluid issuing therefrom impinge against each other. In this manner, the discharged fluid streams are dispersed and form a generally difliused atmosphere in the vicinity of the distributor.

The apparatus of the present invention is adapted for general utility in treating various materials with liquids and/or gases.

More particularly, the distributor may be employed in subjecting individual articles or continuous web materials to reactive fluids, as for example in treating individual articles, films, or layers of fibers formed from a polymeric material, such as polyethylene, with chlorine gas while they are being exposed to ultraviolet rays to render the same receptive to printing inks and/or certain dyes. Similarly, the distributor may be used in applying liquids onto individual articles, such as in washing or liquid treating of freshly spun cakes of regenerating cellulose yarn, or in applying a mixture of gases and/ or liquids, as in humidifying of continuous webs with moist steam, or in applying thermoplastic, anti-static, moistureproof, or other coatings to such articles. Of particular importance is that a diffused fluid atmosphere is provided which permits the distributor to be used in treating very fragile articles, such as the regenerated cellulose yarn cakes as noted above, etc.

Of further significance, is that the diffused atmosphere is provided outwardly of the distributor itself so that little or no condensation of the treating fluid can occur before such fluid is discharged. Moreover, in the event that any of the discharge orifices become clogged during use it is merely necessary that the operator rotate the grooved rod through only a small are so as to present new portions of the rod groove to the opposing surfaces of the delivery tube slot. This manipulation of the rod can be achieved without interrupting or otherwise disturbing the operation of the distributor.

In th drawing, FIGURE 1 is a side view of the fluid distributor of the present invention with a portion thereof shown in section;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line III-III of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the distributor shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the distributor of the present invention as employed in humiditying a continuous web.

The fluid distributor 9 of the present invention includes a delivery tube 11 which is closed at one end by a plug 13. Adjacent to its opposite end, the tube 11 is formed with a bayonet slot '15 which cooperates with a fixed pin 17 in attaching the distributor to a suitable fluid supply conduit 19.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, the tube 11 is provided with a slot 21 having walls 23 which are substantially parallel to each other and to the tube axis. This slot 21 extends from one end of the tube 11 and is somewhat shorter than the tube length. A rod 25, having a diameter which is at least equal to and preferably greater than the width of the slot 21, extends through an opening 27 in the plug 13 and is held snugly within the slot by cross-pieces 29. This rod 25 is formed with a squared end, as shown at 31, so as to facilitate rod rotation as more fullly described hereafter.

On its outer surface, the rod 25 is provided with a continuous helical groove 33 which cooperates with the innermost edges 35 of the slot 21 to form two series of dis- 0 charge orifices 37 and 39. It will be noted that as the streams of fluid 41, such as moist steam, are discharged from these opposing series of orifices 37 and 39, they are dispersed as they impinge against each other and thereby form a generally diffused atmosphere or cloud in the area, as indicated at 43.

In use, as for example in humidifying a continuous paper web 45 as shown in FIGURE 5, the fluid distributor 9 is positioned within a chamber 47 through which the web 45 is guided by rolls 49. Moist steam is supplied under pressure into the distributor 9 from a suitable source and issues from the opposing series of orifices 37 and 39. As heretofore mentioned, these discharged streams of moist steam impinge against each other and are thereby dispersed and provide a diflused atmosphere or cloud adjacent to the Web 45, as indicated at 51. It will be noted that while the streams of moist steam are discharged from opposing orifices 37 and 39 under pressure, most all of the energy possessed by such streams is dissipated as they impact with each other so that the web is actually subjected to a gentle fog or mist-like atmosphere during the actual humidifying operation. If plugging of one or more of the discharge orifices 37 or 39 should occur at any time during the humidifying operation, the operator needs only to turn rod 25 by means of its squared end 31 so as to present different portions of the rod groove to the adjacent innermost edges 35 of the slot 21.

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fluid distributor including a tube, means for delivering a fluid into said tube, walls defining an elongated slot extending logitudinally of said tube, a cylindrical member having a cross-sectional dimension which is at least equal to the width of said slot and less than the inside dimensions of said tube, said cylindrical member positioned within said tube and seated within said slot, a groove extending around the periphery of said cylindrical member and cooperating with the walls defining said slot to form fluid discharge orifices and means for use in turning said cylindrical member about its longitudinal axis and within said slot and relative to said tube.

2. A distributor as defined in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical member is a rod which is round in cross-sectron.

3. A distributor as defined in claim 2 wherein said rod has a diameter which is greater than the width of said slot.

4. A distributor as defined in claim 1 wherein said groove extends helically about said cylindrical member. her.

5. A fluid distributor including a tube, a wall closing one end of said tube, means for delivering a fluid into said tube, walls defining an elongated slot extending longitudinally of said tube, a round rod having a diameter greater than the width of said slot and less than the inside dimensions of said tube, said rod being positioned within said tube and within said slot with one end projecting through said end wall, mean for maintaining said rod engaged snugly within said slot, a groove formed around the outer surface of said rod and cooperating with the walls defining said slot to form fluid discharge orifices, and means on said one end of said rod for rotating the same about its longitudinal axis within said slot and relative to said tube.

6. A distributor as defined in claim 5 wherein said groove extends helically about said rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,150,819 3/1939 Brumbaugh 239-544 3,116,881 1/1964 Dannenrnann et al. 239 601 FOREIGN PATENTS 106,069 8/1898 Germany. 1,109,997 6/ 1961 Germany.

735,560 8/1955 Great Britain.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner.

R. S. STROBEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLUID DISTRIBUTOR INCLUDING A TUBE, MEANS FOR DELIVERING A FLUID INTO SAID TUBE, WALLS DEFINING AN ELONGATED SLOT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID TUBE, A CYLINDRICAL MEMBER HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION WHICH IS AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID SLOT AND LESS THAN THE INSIDE DIMENSIONS OF SAID TUBE, SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER POSITIONED WITHIN SAID TUBE AND SEATED WITHIN SAID SLOT, A GROOVE EXTENDING AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND COOPERATING WITH THE WALLS DEFINING SAID SLOT TO FORM FLUID DISCHARGE ORIFICES AND MEANS FOR USE IN TURNING SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND WITHIN SAID SLOT AND RELATIVE TO SAID TUBE. 